Coming Soon to a City Near You

By Laureen Crowley Algier

OK, so it’s not exactly Cannes, but the Orlando Film Festival, now in its third year, just might prove to be the little film festival that can. The November 5-9 event includes free screenings of two-dozen feature films, short films and documentaries, plus question-and-answer sessions and special elbow-rubbing opportunities with a screen star.

The event will be held at the CityArts Factory and the Gallery at Avalon Island, both on Pine Street between Orange Avenue and Rosalind Street. Last year, about 2,000 film lovers attended the festival, which featured Joey Pantoliano (The Sopranos, Memento) as its Hollywood guest. This year’s celebrity guest hadn’t been named as of press time.